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Cold Weather Means Record Power Bills; Help Available
February 16, 2010
Record cold in January is putting record power bills into the hands of North Escambia area residents. And for many households, those high power bills mean financial difficulties.
Both Gulf Power Company and Escambia River Electric Cooperative, the companies that serve North Escambia, participate in several programs to help customers save money on their energy bills, make their homes more energy efficient or help them get direct assistance.
Levelized/Budget Billing
- Gulf Power offers a bill payment option called Budget Billing. Budget Billing can “levelize” monthly payments so customers can know approximately how much their bill will be each month and avoid high cost fluctuations caused by increased energy purchases during very cold or hot periods. To find out more about payment assistance, call our Customer Care Center at 1-800-225-5797 anytime, day or night.
- EREC offers levelized billing to help minimize variances in electric bills each month. A member’s account over the past 12 months is averaged and they are billed that amount. Each new month, the oldest month is dropped and the latest month is added which is averaged for the current bill. Members can contact EREC at (850) 675-4521 if they would like to participate in this program.
Project Share/Share One With Your Neighbor
- Gulf Power participates with the Salvation Army in Project Share, a program that provides emergency assistance to those who need help with energy bills. Project Share and other non-profit programs assist the elderly, the disabled, the sick, and others experiencing financial hardship. Eligible customers can apply for Project SHARE assistance at The Salvation Army office in their county. Eligibility requirements for Project SHARE recipients are set by The Salvation Army. Gulf Power customers can donate to the program by indicating so on their power bill.
- Share One With Your Neighbor is an EREC program designed to help your neighbors who, due to temporary hardship or misfortune, may need financial assistance with their electric bills. Through this program, EREC members can choose to SHARE ONE dollar each month if they wish. EREC will then add one dollar, or the amount specified, to their electric bill each month. These contributions are placed in a special account which allows funds to be available in voucher form for those most needy. The Salvation Army will screen and recommend needy recipients, after which time the recipients will present the voucher receipts to ESCAMBIA RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. and the amounts will be applied to their current bills. Members should contact the Salvation Army directly to request assistance through this program at (850) 432-1501.
Direct Assistance
Direct assistance is available to the most needy through several programs in Escambia County:
- Community Action (850) 438-4021
- Tri-County (850) 981-0036
- Salvation Army (850) 432-1501
- Catholic Charities (850) 436-6425
- United Ministries (850) 433-2333
- First Call For Help (850) 595-5905
- NW FL Area Agency on Aging (60 or older) (850) 494-7100
Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program
As a result of the stimulus package, DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program is expanding with a goal of weatherizing one million homes per year. In the past, only households that earned up to 150 percent of the national poverty level were eligible to participate. The stimulus bill extends eligibility to those with incomes below 200 percent of the national poverty level. For a family of four, that’s an income limit of $44,100.
Program participants receive a professional energy consultation with an analysis of energy bills, a blower-door test to locate air leaks and advice on how to be more efficient. Workers then arrive to make energy upgrades like insulating walls and roofs, sealing air leaks, and installing more efficient heating and cooling systems. The process to weatherize a home through the program usually takes two days with an average cost of $2,500. Since some homes have different needs, the stimulus bill allows up to $6,500 to be spent on each home.
Federal Efficiency Tax Credits
For residents not eligible for federally funded programs, the stimulus plan provides a homeowner efficiency tax credit of up to $1,500, or 30 percent, of the cost for new energy upgrades, including weatherization activities as well as installation of efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Efficiency tax credits were already available for 2009, but carried a $500 limit (with additional caps for certain types of upgrades) and only covered up to 10 percent of a member’s investment. A list of qualified improvements can be found on the Energy Star website.
Tax credits directly lower a member’s federal income taxes, and are generally more valuable than tax deductions because they reduce taxes owed dollar-for-dollar. In contrast, a tax deduction, like a home mortgage or charitable gift, lowers taxable income and may only offer small savings. For example, a $1,500 tax deduction for someone in the 25 percent tax bracket would lower taxes owed by $350; a $1,500 tax credit for energy efficiency efforts will lower taxes owed by $1,500!
EREC offers more information on federal weatherization and tax credits assistance by clicking here.
North Escambia residents need to call the Community Action Program Committee at (850) 438-4021, to get approval for the Weatherization Assistance Program.
Comments
15 Responses to “Cold Weather Means Record Power Bills; Help Available”
bill, big b little ill…
LOL, yes this is very very true, break the bank & break the wallet. It is rediculous with these such high electric bills…
REGARDING:
“That tells me that more people lose jobs in the long run. Cable companys, cell phone companys, all will suffer, just like the people.”
That’s what always amazed me. People will pay for cell phones and not pay the doctors who saved their children’s lives and wouldn’t pay their power bill if only their computers ran on kerosene
David knowing smaller, well insulated homes are cheaper to heat
Angi they are giving us a break…break the bank, break the wallet..I know that the power company has to make a profit, just like any business that stays in business needs to. But what happens when the general population can’t afford power, gas, doctor bills, taxes ect. People going to eat first, and let other things go. That tells me that more people lose jobs in the long run. Cable companys, cell phone companys, all will suffer, just like the people.
REGARDING:
“Makes you wonder how an eskimo could live in an igloo. Burrrrrrr.”
‘Tis obvious. They’re tougher than I am.
I did budget Billing one time and I think all Gulf Power did coming up with a monthly amount was to look at the previous years highest Bill in a month and used that as my monthly Bill. It was high. Heck, they could of taken my smallest bill and apply that, now that would of been of some help. So whatever you do DO NOT OPT FOR THE BUDGET BILLING.
They get away with charging us so much because they are the only Power company here.
When I lived in California, my highest electric bill, was 68.00. I miss that.
Gulf Power has no ideas on how to help out people with high bills, they only know how to turn you off once you have exceeded your payment arrangement with them. Thats what happened to us when my husband was out of work for 22 months. I’d ask for an extension and still not have just enough, BAM off went our lights. This company doesn’t care about folks who are on hard times and they are NOT the only one. Phone companies don’t care, they think they are doing you a courtesy by waiting, as long as it isnt’ a long wait for their money. So tell me how these companies are helping folks who are barely making it.!!!
My power bill is usually always high, I’ve tried all kinds of cut backs and it still seems to always run high… Give us all a break power companies!!!
D.H. Green…it looks like we may have to dig caves or pile dirt up and over or homes for more insulation. Makes you wonder how an eskimo could live in an igloo. Burrrrrrr.
Another thing the sur charge or gas charge whatever they want to call it ,its ashame that you can’t write it off on your taxes.. whatever happen to the checks the used to send out at the end of the year?I remember years ago they would send a check for a small amount,but no they continue to go up..
REGARDING:
“I agree, my bill this month 787.00. This has got to stop!”
$64.99 for me, about like my gas bill is in summer
at least my gas bill was half your electric bill this time
David wishing Igloo built houses and cars
I agree with Bertha I have called a year or so ago to EREC about that and they told me that they could do that, however what was left at the end of the year you had to pay all at once, unlike Ala Power my parents have that and they pay the samething every month and nothing at the end of the year! so it sounds good but in the long run you still have to pay..Go Ala Power!!
Oh Yea!!!! Budget Billing! All that is is pay now or pay later!!!!! Don’t let it fool you! You sure aren’t going to get any help paying your bill. But it sounds good! Just think about the title.
GOODNESS!!! I guess I need to look at ANOTHER blessing on my relocation!!! I moved from McDavid to a 5 BEDROOM 3 BATH HOUSE and my heating bills was $221, and I had the NERVE to complain! God Bless all the backwoods floridians and the banks that will need to loan them money to stay warm….C’mon people of the Power Companies…It is bad when RIDICULOUS doesnt even define it!!!
I agree, my bill this month 787.00. This has got to stop!
Things will get better when we quit electing rich people to run our Government. They are so out of touch with cost and because of thier weath they don”t feel the pain like the common everyday folk do. Look to Washington and you can’t find poor or middle income person serving in our Government. Before long it will be the RICH and the POOR no MIDDLE CLASS.
All thats fine and good from those who can get the help. I just wonder when it’s all going to stop. My power bill during the summer pushed upward to 400.00 dollars and has increased every month. My last one was 680.00…when is enough, enough for the power company. Don’t have gas, I here that’s worse.